. >> susie: so is the slow growth environment coming to an end, or is the u.s. economy still stuck in neutral? suzanne pratt reports. >> reporter: ann lenane has sold real estate in up and down markets, what she says about today's market might surprise you. >> the real estate market is hot. it is on fire. >> reporter: her read on real estate market makes sense given that home sales and new construction are recovering from their recent steep declines. and, some economists believe housing will replace manufacturing as a key growth driver this year. beyond the housing, the economy has recently been showing other signs of strength. retail sales and manufacturing activity were surprisingly strong in december. today, we learned that jobless claims are at a five-year low. on top of that the stock market, often considered a leading indicator of the economy hit a five-year high today. we're not talking about any old high, it's the highest level for the s&p 500 since before the financial crisis. still, not all economists believe there's reason to celebrate, just yet. >> w